Brick extractor for electric furnaces

ABSTRACT

A scraping device for loosening damaged and other firebricks in crucibles of electric furnaces and the like which comprises a beam supported horizontally in the crucible and having hinged scraping bits on its ends which move up and out of the way when the beam is lowered in the crucible, but drop down and outwardly to operative position when the area of the damaged brickwork is reached. The beam including the scraping bits have a length approximately equal to the diameter of the shell of the crucible so that when the beam is repeatedly lowered and raised in the crucible the bits bite into the firebricks and break and loosen them away from the shell so that they may be easily removed.

United States Patent 1191 Marceau y BRICK EXTRACTOR FOR ELECTRIC I FURNACES [76] Inventor: Joseph G. Marceau, 42 Sunset Dr.,

Derby, Conn. 06418 [22] Filed: Dec. 26, 1972 I [2l] Appl. No.: 318,584

[52] US. Cl 299/34, 15/93, 15/104.1 C, 166/174, 175/263 [51] Int. Cl. E21c 27/34 58 Field 61 Search. 15/93, 93 A, 104.17, 104.1 c; 214/309, 310; 175/53, 263; 299/36, 37, 34, 69, 70, 29,95; 166/174 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 2,803,026 8/1957 Koffski ..166/174x 3,302,976 2/l967 Grant 299/70 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 569,935 l/l933 Germany 299/29 Primary Examiner-Ernest R. Purser V Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Arthur' A. Johnson 57 ABSTRACT A scraping device for loosening damaged and other firebricks in crucibles of electric furnacesand the like which comprises a beam supported horizontally in the crucible and having hinged scrapingvbits on its ends which move up and out of the way when the beam is lowered in the crucible, but drop down and outwardly to operative position when the area of the damaged brickwork is reached. The beam including the scraping bits have a length approximately equal to the diameter of the. shellof the crucible so that when the beam is repeatedly, lowered and raised in thecrucible the bits biteintoftheffirebricks and break andloosen them away from the shell so that they may be easily removed. I

- 10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures ble above the region of the slag line. When the damage to the brickwork has become too great it is necessary to cool the crucible, and, when it is cool enough, to send men into the crucible to breakaway the damaged brickwork. When the damaged firebricks are loosened and broken, it is necessary to remove the bricks above the damaged bricks and're-line the entire upper portion of the crucible with new brickwork.

An object of the present invention'is to facilitate the removal of the damaged firebricks and the brickwork.

above them by loosening and breaking up the bricks by mechanical means with very little manual labor.

To this end the present invention comprises scraping means in the form ofa beam insertable in the crucible and having a length approximately as great as the diameter of the crucible at the slag line and including end portions which constitute scraper bits to loosen and break the firebrick with which the crucible is lined when the beam is pulled from the crucible, the bits being hinged on'the beam to swing upwardly and inwardly when the beam is being lowered into the crucible and downwardly and outwardly to a horizontal working position when in the area of the damaged brickwork. When the beam is repeatedly lowered and pulled up, the bits will bite into the damaged brickwork and break it up about the area of the damaged bricks. The beam is suspended from a spreader attached to a swivel and a cable and may be rotated on the axis of the cable so that the bits may engage the brickwork in various arcuately spaced areas of the brickwork.

Other features and advantagesv will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevation showing the beam of the present invention and showing in dotted lines the scraping bits swung up and against the stop lugs of the beam.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the scraper shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevation of one end of the beam showing the scraping bit in operative position.

FIG. 4 is. an end view of a scraper showing the lateral guides which engage the web of the scraping bit.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section of a crucible showing the beam of the present invention in full lines lowered in the crucible to position to begin scraping the brickwork; in dash lines with the beam about to descend into the crucible; and in dot-and-dash lines showing the beam lowered part-way into the crucible.

As shown in the accompanying drawings the scraper of the present invention comprises an l-beam 10 having aweb 11, top flanges 12 and bottom flanges 13.

Each end of the beam 10 has a bit 15 which forms a continuation of the beam 10 and has a web 11a, top flanges 12a and bottom flanges 13a corresponding to the web and flanges of the main portion of the beam.

The bits 15 are hingedly mounted on the main portion of the beam by hinges 16. One leaf 17 of each hinge is welded or otherwise secured to the top flanges 12 of the beam and the other leaf 18 being likewise secured to the top flanges 12a of the bit 15..

When the bit 15 is swung upwardly on the hinge pin 19 to a vertical position, it engages and rests against a stop arm 20 as shown in FIG. 1. When the bits are in their normal working or horizontal position the ends of the webs l1 and 11a, the ends of the flanges l2 and 12a and the ends of the flanges 13 and respectively are engaged.

At each end of the beam .10 adjacent the hinges 16 the beam is provided with a hauling eye 21 adapted to receive the ends 22 of cables 23 attached to spreader 24 connected by a bridle 25 to a swivel 26 on a cable 27 by which the beam may be lowered into and raised from a crucible 28.

A crucible, such as the crucible 28, has a metal bottom 29 and cylindrical metal shell 30. The bottom is covered with a layer 31 of heat-resistant material, such as dolomite, while the side 32 of the shell is covered withfireproof bricks 33 extending to the open top 34.

In use the bricks 33 in the vicinity of the slag line eventually burn away, as indicated in FIG. 5, and must be replaced along with the bricks. above the slag line.

Heret ofore, to remove the bricks that were to be replaced, after the crucible has cooled off sufficiently, men went down into the crucible and with appropriate hand tools loosened and broke away the damaged In use the beam 10, with the scrapingbits 15 extended as shown in dash lines in FIG. 5, is lowered into the crucible 28. When this occurs the bottom flange 13a of the bits 15 engage the top row of bricks 33 and are swung upwardly on the hinges 16 thereby allowing the beam to descend in the crucible to the intermediate position shown in dot-and-dash lines in which the flange 13a rides on the bricks. When the beam 10 reaches its full line position shown in FIG. 5, the bits 15 fall down to horizontal position, the center of gravity of the respective bits 15 being overboard of the main portion of the beam.

The beam is then raised and lowered repeatedly to cause the bits to bite into the damaged brickwork, first loosening and breaking up the damaged brick'and then the brick extending to the top of the crucible. During the lowering of the beam it may be rotated on the swivel 26 to which the bridle 25 is attached so that the bits 15 may be caused to strike the bricks at various places around the circularly disposed brickwork. To facilitate the rotation of the beam, a guide line 35 is fastened to the spreader 24.

As shown in FIG. 2, the corners of each bit 15 may be cut away at 36 to form a tooth. to more easily bite lla of each bit extends between two guide plates 37 welded to the web 11 of the beam to resist lateral movement of the bit relative to the beam.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. Scraping means for loosening damaged firebrick from the inside of a crucible of an electric furnace or the like comprising a beam having a length approximately equal to the diameter of the crucible at the slag line thereof and having a main portion and a scraping bit portion on each end of the main portion, means connected to the main portion by which the beam may be lowered into the crucible by gravity and be pulled therefrom by force and cause the scraping bit portions to bite into and loosen the damaged brick and the brickwork'above said damaged brick, said scraping bit portions each having a hinge connecting it to an end of the main portion of the beam on which the scraping portion may swing upwardly and inwardly of the main portion of the beam to permit the latter to be lowered in the crucible.

2. Scraping means as defined in'claim 1 in which the underside of each scraping bit portion constitutes a cam surface which causes the scraping portion to swing upwardly to inoperative position and slide on the bricks while the beam is being lowered into the crucible to the area of the damaged bricks.

3. Scraping means as defined in claim 2 in which the center of gravity of each scraping bit portion is located outwardly of the pivot point of said hinge whereby when the beam reaches the area of the damaged bricks, the scraping bit falls by gravity to operative position.

4. Scraping means as defined in claim 3 in which the main portion of the beam and the scraping portions are sections of an I-beam, the upper flange of said main portion and the upper flange of each scraping portion being connected together by said hinge, the pin of which is extended transversely of said l-beam, stop means on the main portion for each scraping portion to prevent the latter from being swung inwardly sufficiently to shift the center of gravity inwardly of the pin of its respective hinge, the web and flange of the main portion of the beam and of the scraping portions having abutting edges to limit the downward movement of the scraping portions to its operative position, guide plates secured to opposite sides of ends of the main portion of the beam projecting therefrom to engage the web of the scraping portion and align it and the main portion of the beam and resist lateral movement of the scraping portions relative to the main portion.

5. Scraping means as defined in claim 4 in which hauling eyesare secured to the main portion of the beam adjacent and inwardly of each of said hinges, a bridle connected to said eyes and a hauling cable connected to said bridle.

6. Scraping means as defined in claim 1 in which the main portion of the beam and the scraping portions are sections of an I-beam, the upper flange of said main portion and the upper flange of each scraping portion being connected together by said hinge, the pin of which is extended transversely of said I-beam.

7. Scraping means as defined in claim 6 in which there is stop means on the main portion for each scraping portion to prevent the latter from being swung inwardly sufficiently to shift the center of gravity inwardly of the pin of its respective hinge.

8. Scraping means as defined in claim 6 in which the web and flange of the main portion of the beam and of the scraping portions have abutting edges to limit the downward movement of the scraping portions to its operative position.

9. Scraping means as defined in claim 6 in which guide plates secured to opposite sides of ends of the main portion of the beam project therefrom to engage the web of the scraping portion and align it and the main portion of the beam and resist lateral movement of the scraping portions relative to the main portion.

10. Scraping means as defined in claim 1 in which hauling eyes are secured to the main portion of the beam adjacent and inwardly of each of said hinges, a bridle connected to said eyes and a hauling cable connected to said bridle. 

1. Scraping means for loosening damaged firebrick from the inside of a crucible of an electric furnace or the like comprising a beam having a length approximately equal to the diameter of the crucible at the slag line thereof and having a main portion and a scraping bit portion on each end of the main portion, means connected to the main portion by which the beam may be lowered into the crucible by gravity and be pulled therefrom by force and cause the scraping bit portions to bite into and loosen the damaged brick and the brickwork above said damaged brick, said scraping bit portions each having a hinge connecting it to an end of the main portion of the beam on which the scraping portion may swing upwardly and inwardly of the main portion of the beam to permit the latter to be lowered in the crucible.
 2. Scraping means as defined in claim 1 in which the underside of each scraping bit portion constitutes a cam surface which causes the scraping portion to swing upwardly to inoperative position and slide on the bricks while the beam is being lowered into the crucible to the area of the damaged bricks.
 3. Scraping means as defined in claim 2 in which the center of gravity of each scraping bit portion is located outwardly of the pivot point of said hinge whereby when the beam reaches the area of the damaged bricks, the scraping bit falls by gravity to operative position.
 4. Scraping means as defined in claim 3 in which the main portion of the beam and the scraping portions are sections of an I-beam, the upper flange of said main portion and the upper flange of each scraping portion being connected together by said hinge, the pin of which is extended transversely of said I-beam, stop means on the main portion for each scraping portion to prevent the latter from being swung inwardly sufficiently to shift the center of gravity inwardly of the pin of its respective hinge, the web and flange of the main portion of the beam and of the scraping portions having abutting edges to limit the downward movement of the scraping portions to its operative position, guide plates secured to opposite sides of ends of the main portion of the beam projecting therefrom to engage the web of the scraping portion and align it and the main portion of the beam and resist lateral movement of the scraping portions relative to the main portion.
 5. Scraping means as defined in claim 4 in which hauling eyes are secured to the main portion of the beam adjacent and inwardly of each of said hinges, a bridle connected to said eyes and a hauling cable connected to said bridle.
 6. Scraping means as defined in claim 1 in which the main portion of the beam and the scraping portions are sections of an I-beam, the upper flange of said main portion and the upper flange of each scraping portion being connected together by said hinge, the pin of which is extended transversely of said I-beam.
 7. Scraping means as defined in claim 6 in which there is stop means on the main portion for each scraping portion to prevent the latter from being swung inwardly sufficiently to shift the center of gravity inwardly of the pin of its respective hinge.
 8. Scraping means as defined in claim 6 in which the web and flange of the main portion of the beam and of the scraping portions have abutting edges to limit the downward movement of the scraping portions to its operative position.
 9. Scraping means as defined in claim 6 in which guide plates secured to opposite sides of ends of the main portion of the beam project therefrom to engage the web of the scraping portion and align it and the main portion of the beam and resist lateral movement of the scraping portions relative to the main portion.
 10. Scraping means as defined in claim 1 in which Hauling eyes are secured to the main portion of the beam adjacent and inwardly of each of said hinges, a bridle connected to said eyes and a hauling cable connected to said bridle. 